THE SUCCESSFUL INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OR UPGRADE

A successful implementation is a true team effort, requiring the active support and participation of management, and all team leaders and end-users. Many of these same issues occur when doing a major upgrade.

Often, years after implementation, there is a need for re-training, due to large-scale changes in employees and staff, and/or a change in focus in terms of the business plan itself. There is a need to maximize value in the current application, before incurring expense in seeking alternatives.

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFORMATION, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Peter Drucker is the one who said that, in a Delphi conference a few years ago, and it is a valid point. You can buy technology, but you must generate information.

The following are some thoughts from a successful "go-live", which included hand-written conversions from a non-MultiValue database, and user testing and piloting. Many of these concepts hold true for major upgrades on existing systems, as well.

Set a realistic "go-live" date, using the experience of those who have gone through a similar process. If this date is not realistic, there is an immediate loss of morale, since the senior people will sense that the users will not be ready.

Active and ongoing encouragement by top management is ESSENTIAL. The implementation team cannot live in fear of missing a "deadline". If top management is continuously kept apprised of progress, the chance of unfavorable surprises is minimized.

Middle management must be on board as "champions" of the effort. They must also find ways to work around the fact that product must still be built and shipped, while training is ongoing.

Cross-functional teams are needed, in addition to module teams. Certain issues should be gone over by Planning, Purchasing, and Accounting, together. Other issues should remain with specific module teams. Make sure that these teams are empowered to make suggestions. "Line" personnel should be included.

A strong implementation leader is required to represent top managements' desire to "go live" on time. The leader must insist on continuous training, and continuous improvement. The "go-live" point is only a waystation on the route to a sound implementation.

Schedule specific times for training. On a previously successful implementation, each module team (Product, Purchasing, MPS, etc.) met for one hour, three times per week, at the same times.

Keep expectations high - do not lay blame during training. This is the time to make mistakes, and to find out what people do not understand. If a user sees an "error message", they should be told to notify their team leader, and not believe that they have created a problem. This is the time to identify obvious software issues. Make users aware that they do not earn any credit for finding their way around errors!

This is a good opportunity to win over senior employees, by giving them responsibility as trainers. Since senior people often have the most practical knowledge, they will work harder to utilize the new software, so as to supervise the training of junior personnel.

Identify key reports and data, which you want to keep (emulate) from your existing legacy system. If upgrading, note which custom processes are no longer utilized, with an eye to removing unneeded customization to baseline software.

Identify key requirements. The earlier this is done, the more likely that modifications can be delivered before "go-live". Try several data conversions, and assess the results.

Re-judge your "go-live" date. Set a realistic timeline, and then PUSH! The conversion will not happen if people participate "when they have the time". Announce a specific "go-live" date, and not a length of time. For example, your target is September 1st, not "3 months". If you are forced to move out the "go-live" date, believability, and therefore momentum, begins to drop.